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Movies / On DVD / American Outlaws
American Outlaws

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American Outlaws (2001)

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Reviews Counted:100

Fresh:13

Rotten:87

Average Rating:3.6/10

Consensus: With corny dialogue, revisionist history, anachronistic music, and a generically attractive cast, American Outlaws is a sanitized, teenybopper version of Jesse James.

Runtime: 1 hr 34 mins

Genre: Westerns

Synopsis: Director Les Mayfield (BLUE STREAK) attempts to revamp the Western genre with yet another telling of the Jesse James story. This time around, James (Colin Farrell), older brother Frank (Gabriel... Director Les Mayfield (BLUE STREAK) attempts to revamp the Western genre with yet another telling of the Jesse James story. This time around, James (Colin Farrell), older brother Frank (Gabriel Macht), and companion Cole Younger (Scott Caan) have returned from the frontlines of the Civil War. Their peaceful Missouri existence is crudely shattered by the arrival of Thaddeus Rains (Harris Yulin), a railroad tycoon who demands that they give up their land for the railroad's benefit. When the boys refuse to cooperate, Rains turns Allan Pinkerton (Timothy Dalton) on them, resulting in a family tragedy that sparks a rebellion. It isn't long before Jessie, Frank, and Cole are off and running, robbing banks throughout the state in order to cut off the railroad's funding, and using their stolen money to feed the poor. In the meantime, Jessie remains intimate with his one true love, Zee Mimms (Ali Larter), hoping for an end to the madness that surrounds him. Mayfield's film balances comedy and action in equal measure, making for a lighthearted affair, even as the bodies continue to pile. Hollywood newcomer Farrell slips into the role--and accent--of the misunderstood legend with ease, delivering another highly engaging performance. [More]

Starring: Colin Farrell, Scott Caan, Ali Larter, Gabriel Macht

Starring: Colin Farrell, Scott Caan, Ali Larter, Gabriel Macht, Timothy Dalton, Will McCormack, Kathy Bates, Harris Yulin

Director: Les Mayfield

Director: Les Mayfield
Screenwriter: John W. Rogers, Roderick Taylor
Producer: James G. Robinson, Bill Gerber
Composer: Trevor Rabin
Studio: Warner Bros.

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Reviews for American Outlaws

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81 - 100 (sorted by date; UK critics are listed first)
Text View | |< << 1 2 3 4 5 6 >> >|
Arrange By:Fresh | Rotten | Comments | Name | Source | Date
 
 

An excuse for good-looking guys (and one good-looking gal) to play cowboy.

Full Review Source: Salt Lake Tribune | comment Comment
08/17/01
Sean Means
Sean Means
Salt Lake Tribune

Jesse is supposed to be the charismatic one, but Farrell doesn't really lead the cast.

Full Review Source: Movie Habit | comment Comment
08/17/01
Marty Mapes
Marty Mapes
Movie Habit

Provides a strong argument for the been-there, done-that Western genre to again sink back into obscurity.

Full Review Source: Apollo Guide | comment Comment
08/16/01
Brian Webster
Brian Webster
Apollo Guide

Its true focus is Farrell's perfectly tousled hair, hair never disturbed by a cowboy hat while no other man onscreen removes his.

Full Review Source: IFilm | comment Comment
08/16/01
Dave White
Dave White
IFilm

It takes a special kind of stinker to turn an up-and-comer with the wily presence of a young Steve McQueen into a tousle-haired action figure.

Full Review Source: Mr. Showbiz | comment Comment
08/16/01
Kevin Maynard
Kevin Maynard
Mr. Showbiz

[Mayfield's] incompetent direction leaves the actors floundering, trying to find the point of these aimless, wayward scenes.

Full Review Source: St. Paul Pioneer Press | comment Comment
08/16/01
Chris Hewitt (St. Paul)
Chris Hewitt (St. Paul)
St. Paul Pioneer Press

This movie is fuuuuuuuuuun!! See it!

Full Review Source: Greenwich Village Gazette | comment Comment
08/16/01
Eric Lurio
Eric Lurio
Greenwich Village Gazette

The corny script ... intersects only tangentially with history.

Full Review Source: Dallas Morning News | comment Comment
08/16/01
Jane Sumner
Jane Sumner
Dallas Morning News

so atrociously ridiculous it's entertaining

Full Review Source: Reeling Reviews | comment Comment
08/16/01
Laura Clifford
Laura Clifford
Reeling Reviews

The filmmakers have created a dull, one-dimensional pop icon out of James' complex character and legend.

Full Review Source: Chicago Tribune | comment Comment
08/16/01
Robert K. Elder
Robert K. Elder
Chicago Tribune

Guns down credible acting, believable dialogue and historical accuracy.

Full Review Source: South Florida Sun-Sentinel | comment Comment
08/16/01
Todd Anthony
Todd Anthony
South Florida Sun-Sentinel

Set in a parallel dimension wild west in which cowboys have full unfettered access to modern-day gymnasiums, hair care products and state-of-the-art dentistry.

comment Comment
08/16/01
Luke Y. Thompson
Luke Y. Thompson
New Times

I suppose the way to watch this film, if you feel compelled to watch it by some masochistic tendency you are powerless to control, is to regard it as a comedy.

Full Review Source: ReelViews | comment Comment
08/16/01
James Berardinelli
James Berardinelli
ReelViews

One of those not-bad-not-good pictures.

Full Review Source: Atlanta Journal-Constitution | comment Comment
08/16/01
Eleanor Ringel Gillespie
Eleanor Ringel Gillespie
Atlanta Journal-Constitution

Suffers from a poorly written and executed script as well as horrific dialogue and direction.

Full Review Source: Talking Pictures (U.S.) | comment Comment
08/16/01
Tony Toscano
Tony Toscano
Talking Pictures (U.S.)

I'd rather suck the poison out of a rattlesnake fang than submit anyone to this drawn-out drawl fest.

Full Review Source: BeatBoxBetty.com | comment Comment
08/16/01
BeatBoxBetty.com
Top Critic Icon Top Critic

I'd recommend that you check it out on video where you might just enjoy it for the fluffy western that it is.

Full Review Source: JoBlo's Movie Emporium | comment Comment
08/16/01
JoBlo
JoBlo
JoBlo's Movie Emporium

Along the way, the boys squabble over who's the cutest of the gang, who's the most popular cowboy in the gang, and who ought to go on MTV's Total Request Live.

Full Review Source: Filmcritic.com | comment Comment
08/16/01
Max Messier
Max Messier
Filmcritic.com

Starring a bunch of relatively indistinguishable young male leads and one token female, it is a formulaic film carefully designed to appeal to just the right demographics.

Full Review Source: Internet Reviews | comment Comment
08/15/01
Steve Rhodes
Steve Rhodes
Internet Reviews

It's the same movie you've seen again and again, but with a younger cast with which to extract money from a new generation.

Full Review Source: Planet Sick-Boy | comment Comment
08/15/01
Jon Popick
Jon Popick
Planet Sick-Boy
 
 
81 - 100 (sorted by date; UK critics are listed first)
Text View | |< << 1 2 3 4 5 6 >> >|
all

Latest News for American Outlaws

June 05, 2001: Another example of the 'old story, young cast' formula that has been more and more common in recent years. Opens in new window
More...

June 05, 2001: Working in the studio's favor is the casting of Farrell -- who went from zero to must have hot young thing in 2.7 seconds after starring in last year's Vietnam era drama Tigerland. Opens in new window
More...

June 05, 2001: Red-hot Irishman Farrell stars as the young Jesse James, who leads his pretty-boy posse against a scheming railroad baron. Opens in new window
More...

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